Astilbe plant named ‘Look at Me’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Astilbe  plant named ‘Look at Me’, characterized by its compact, broadly upright and mounding plant habit; dense and bushy appearance; freely and uniformly flowering habit; pink-colored flowers positioned just above the foliar plane on strong and sturdy red-colored peduncles; and good container and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Astilbe arendsii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘LOOK AT ME’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe, botanically known as Astilbe arendsii and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Look at Me’.

The new Astilbe plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in 's Gravenzande, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new uniform and freely flowering Astilbe plants with attractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Astilbe plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2003 in 's Gravenzande, The Netherlands, of two unnamed Astilbe arendsii seedling selections, not patented. The new Astilbe plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in 's Gravenzande, The Netherlands in 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Astilbe plant by vegetative divisions in a controlled environment in Afferden, The Netherlands since 2005 has shown that the unique features of this new Astilbe plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Astilbe have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Look at Me’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Look at Me’ as a new and distinct Astilbe plant:

-   -   1. Compact, broadly upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Dense and bushy appearance.     -   3. Freely and uniformly flowering habit.     -   4. Pink-colored flowers positioned just above the foliar plane         on strong and sturdy red-colored peduncles.     -   5. Good container and garden performance.

Plants of the new Astilbe differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe are more compact than plants of the         parent selections.     -   2. Plants of the new Astilbe are more freely flowering than         plants of the parent selections.     -   3. Plants of the new Astilbe have stronger and sturdier stems,         peduncles and pedicels than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Astilbe can be compared to plants of Astilbe arendsii ‘Gloria’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Afferden, The Netherlands, plants of the new Astilbe and ‘Gloria’ differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe were more compact than plants of         ‘Gloria’.     -   2. Plants of the new Astilbe were denser and bushier than plants         of ‘Gloria’.     -   3. Plants of the new Astilbe were more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Gloria’.     -   4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Astilbe and ‘Gloria’         differed in peduncle and pedicel color as plants of ‘Gloria’ had         green-colored peduncles and pedicels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Astilbe plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Astilbe plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Look at Me’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical developing inflorescence of ‘Look at Me’.

The photograph on the third sheet is a close-up view of fully developed inflorescences of ‘Look at Me’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the late summer/early autumn in an outdoor nursery in Afferden, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Astilbe production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 6° C. to 18° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Astilbe arendsii ‘Look at Me’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed Astilbe arendsii seedling             selection, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed Astilbe arendsii seedling             selection, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By divisions.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks at temperatures             about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy; brown and white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact,             broadly upright and mounding plant form with inflorescences             held just above the foliar plane; flowering stems and leaves             basal; freely flowering with numerous basal branches             developing per plant, dense and bushy appearance; low vigor             to moderately vigorous growth habit; freely and uniformly             flowering habit.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate to slow; from divisions, about ten             months are required to produce fully-grown flowering plants             in containers.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of foliar plane).—About 19             cm.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of inflorescences).—About 44             cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 40.5 cm.         -   Stem description.—Length: About 13.3 cm. Diameter: About             3 mm. Strength: Strong, sturdy. Texture: Sparsely pubescent.             Color: Close to 165B; towards the base, close to 172A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate in basal rosettes; biternately             compound; about 21 leaflets per leaf.         -   Leaf length (excluding petiole).—About 15.9 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 18.4 cm.         -   Terminal leaflet length.—About 5.6 cm.         -   Terminal leaflet width.—About 2.8 cm.         -   Lateral leaflet length.—About 4 cm.         -   Lateral leaflet width.—About 2.1 cm.         -   Leaf shape.—Roughly deltoid to broadly ovate in outline.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet shape.—Elliptic to narrowly             ovate.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet apex.—Acute.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet base.—Rounded to cuneate.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet margin.—Biserrate.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet texture, upper and lower             surfaces.—Moderately pubescent; rough.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet color.—Developing leaflets,             upper surface: Close to 143A to 143B. Developing leaflets,             lower surface: Close to 143B to 143C. Fully expanded             leaflets, upper surface: Between N137A and 147A; venation,             close to 148C. Fully expanded leaflets, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 174C to 174D.         -   Leaf petiole length.—About 8.9 cm.         -   Leaf petiole diameter.—About 1 mm.         -   Leaflet petiole length.—About 1.4 cm.         -   Leaflet petiole width.—About 0.75 mm.         -   Leaf and leaflet petiole texture, upper and lower             surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Leaf and leaflet petiole color, upper surface.—Close to             178A.         -   Leaf and leaflet petiole color, lower surface.—Close to 145B             to 145C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single rotate flowers             arrange on terminal panicles; flowers face upright,             outwardly or drooping depending on position on the             inflorescence; racemes roughly conical in shape; freely and             uniformly flowering habit with about 750 flowers per             inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—Moderately strong; sweet, pleasant. Natural             flowering season: Plants begin flowering about ten months             after planting; continuously flowering from early to late             summer in The Netherlands.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the             plant; flowers persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 69D; towards the apex, close             to 70C.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 21.1 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 9.3 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5 mm.         -   Flower depth.—About 4 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl. Length: About 3 mm. Lobe width: About 1 mm. Shape:             Oblanceolate. Apex: Broadly acute. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Developing petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             NN155C. Fully expanded petals, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to NN155C.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl, fused towards the base; campanulate-shaped calyx.             Length: About 2 mm. Width: About 0.75 mm. Shape: Ovate.             Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing sepals, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 70C; towards the base, close to             69D. Fully expanded sepals, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 70C; towards the base, close to 69D.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 20.7 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Angle: Erect to about 40° from vertical. Strength: Strong,             sturdy. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 53B to             53D.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Angle:             About 50° from peduncle axis. Strength: Strong, sturdy.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Between 53D and 54A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             ten. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to             56D; towards the base, close to 55B. Anther shape: Ovate,             basifixed. Anther length: About 0.2 mm. Anther color: Close             to 158D. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to             N155A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: Typically two. Pistil             length: About 1.5 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma             color: Close to 56A. Style length: About 1.3 mm. Style             color: Close to 56D. Ovary color: Close to 155A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Astilbe. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Astilbe have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Astilbe     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Astilbe have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and high     temperatures of about 35° C. Plants of the new Astilbe have been     observed to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 5. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Astilbe plant named ‘Look at Me’ as illustrated and described. 